Brits moaning about Britain

Mutt · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:18

The weather and government are often lousy but don't we live in one of the most beautiful places on earth?

Our own folk seem to be under the impression that living almost anywhere else (with the exception of war zones) is preferable to living in Britain. The amount of hours of sunshine a place has appears to be ranked higher than anything their own country might have to offer.

For what it's worth, I think we're blessed to live here.

Salsa · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:19

Moaning is the British past time. Why are you surprised?

/Salsa

httk · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:21

My understanding of Brits is that we complain a lot but really we love it and wouldn't live anywhere else.

Like bitching about your wife, or in my case when I call my housemate names behind her back, we love 'em really.

[TW]Fox · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:21

Mutt said:
don't we live in one of the most beautiful places on earth?

No, we don't. A few of us might, and many Scottish people do, but most of us probably don't. There are many more beautiful places in the world. That said, there are few places I'd rather live as, on balance, the UK is pretty good for other more boring things.

Judgeneo · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:22

IMO, you have to leave the UK in order to truly appreciate it

Conscript · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:23

The problem is people spend far too much time believing what they read in the tabloid press. Broken Britain! Immigration! Muslims! Terrorism! Recession! NHS!

No wonder people are so down all the time.

M1k3H · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:23

The moaning part is true. As someone who has moved over, I've heard people complain about how bad the weather is, whether it is snowing, raining, sunny, cloudy. You people cannot be pleased!

Paul11 · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:24

there are probably better places and there are definitely worse

httk · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:24

Conscript said:
The problem is people spend far too much time believing what they read in the tabloid press. Broken Britain! Immigration! Muslims! Terrorism! Recession! NHS!

Oh my God!! I hadn't heard about any of this stuff, and now I'm really nervous!! :eek:

[FnG]magnolia · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:26

Britain is like your mate's slightly chubby but easy sister. You'd probably go there and stay for a bit if it meant not having to put any effort in to doing something a bit better.

lettucefire · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:27

Self deprecation is what makes us british,it's a good thing

RomanNose · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:27

A lot of the people moaning have probably never been anywhere else. I know someone who just went to India and half the group came back with food poisoning. The water is filled with parasites, and the roads are covered in cow pat.

Nix · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:27

Bloody moaners, coming here taking our joy.

Mutt · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:28

[TW]Fox;24686244 said:
No, we don't. A few of us might, and many Scottish people do, but most of us probably don't. There are many more beautiful places in the world. That said, there are few places I'd rather live as, on balance, the UK is pretty good for other more boring things.

Do those places you'd rather live have the British sense of humour? Can you get the BBC channels there? Can you get to rugged coastlines, mountains, idyllic villages and historic buildings within an hour or two?

Raymond Lin · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:30

M1k3H said:
The moaning part is true. As someone who has moved over, I've heard people complain about how bad the weather is, whether it is snowing, raining, sunny, cloudy. You people cannot be pleased!

I know!

It's too hot!
It rains too much!
It's snowing again!
It's muggy!
It's too cold!
Etc

No earthquake (like Japan), no hurricane (like America), no flooding (like parts of Asia), no sandstorm, no snow storm, no immense dry spells. Four varied seasons, temperature comfortable to wear a t-shirt and jacket most of the year, air quality is pretty decent, drinkable water from the tap.

It's pretty good!

Burnsy2023 · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:33

[TW]Fox;24686244 said:
No, we don't. A few of us might, and many Scottish people do, but most of us probably don't. There are many more beautiful places in the world. That said, there are few places I'd rather live as, on balance, the UK is pretty good for other more boring things.

Quite.

On the upside, the weather is perfect today: 22C dry, bright but not too sunny. Just how I like it.

Mutt · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:33

I'm not talking about the casual moaners. We all do that. It's the people that think their life would have been so much better if they'd been born anywhere other than here.

This is probably all tied in to the blame culture. Someone, something or somewhere is to blame for the way their life has turned out.

G-MAN2004 · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:34

I know so many people who were born in certain cities, grew up there and are still there now with no intentions to ever move. The very thought of living in the UK forever makes me feel ill, never mind living in the same city!

I do love the UK (well, England), but I am completely fed up of the British way of life. I want to experience a new culture, new people, etc. I love going to the US and seeing how friendly everyone is and how they just talk to anyone without a care in the world - it's great! Then you come back to the UK where everyone just seems to avoid each other...

Angilion · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:36

M1k3H said:
The moaning part is true. As someone who has moved over, I've heard people complain about how bad the weather is, whether it is snowing, raining, sunny, cloudy. You people cannot be pleased!

The oldest known extant writing in Britain is on the Vindolanda tablets, written ~1900 years ago. They contain complaints about the weather. No joke, they really do. Historians particularly like them because they're normal day to day writing and not the carefully written formal stuff that usually survives, such as memoirs and histories.

I think we have great weather in Britain. It's often dull and grey and wet, but it's rarely dangerous or even extreme. The recent "extreme" heat we've had would be a cool spring day in some places and normal summer weather in many more. We consider it extremely cold if it goes below about 5C. We don't have hurricanes, monsoons, etc, etc. We have lovely weather here.

Mutt · 29 Jul 2013 at 22:47

RomanNose said:
A lot of the people moaning have probably never been anywhere else. I know someone who just went to India and half the group came back with food poisoning. The water is filled with parasites, and the roads are covered in cow pat.

The people that have been somewhere else (for a holiday) are the worst. They get a pleasing snapshot of what a country is about and assume that's the way the country is every day. If they lived there for long enough they'd be wishing they were back in Blighty.